November 30, 2009

Try a search of her books/DVDs at your local library. I just recently watched a DVD called "You can Heal Your Life" and looked at some of her book of that same title. It was very moving...made me see that as positive as I try to be there is always room for improvement! Here is a link to her site's affirmations check this one out. There's a new one every day!

1) Eat and drink nutritionally dense foods. Green smoothies, tons of veggies/salads and some fruits.
2) Get tested for food allergies/leaky gut ,or try an elimination diet, and avoid allergenic foods.
3) Detox -there are colon,kidney,liver cleanses, and drink clean water, and eat "clean" foods, no pesticides, sweat(sauna and /or exercise) use toiletries and other things you put on your skin that you would feel safe eating. do body/skin scrubs
4) Breathe, don't sweat the small stuff, let things go
5) Get tested for parasites/candida and treat them. Take out sugar and starches from your diet and starve those candida bugs. For parasites see your doctor, there are drugs or herbs to get rid of parasites.

November 26, 2009

Whether you plan to have turkey, tofurkey, or raw "meatloaf" (there's recipes for raw meatloaf/mashed potatoes and gravy and "noasted" a raw stuffing recipe in Alissa Cohen's book Living on Live Food)
for dinner today..... hug your loved ones and count those blessings, and don't complain about what's for dinner, find a recipe you love and "dig in"!

Also after a modest dinner, go out and play! (or just take a walk)

Happy Thanksgiving and see the link below for a card that you can send to your friends/family. Hope it gives you a giggle! (or a GOBBLE)

Bad News as of June 2008 (but still working on my health to get rid of these Lupus markers)
Still have DS DNA double stranded DNA
Still have anti cardiolipin antibodies(AB IGG)
still have antiphospholipid antibodies
still have an ANA of 1:80 with a speckled pattern(went down from a 1:160)

November 23, 2009

Found a good video on green cleaning and natural products, get rid of those toxic cleanong products...one a a time or all at once, whichever fits your lifestyle.

In my township we have a "STOP" day that happens twice a year that you can bring toxins, paints, batteries and e-waste(electronics) to be disposed of properly.
You can do that, or just replace products with natural cleaning items, as the bottles are empty and used up!

What is your Thanksgiving about??? Do you REALLY think about what you're thankful for??? Or are you too busy planning the menu, cleaning the house, shopping....

Please take the time and take a deep breath, or better yet 5 slow, deep breaths in a row (stimulates deep relaxation), and really concentrate on what you are thankful for and the blessings in your life.

What am I thankful for???

1)My husband that supports me in every aspect of my healthy living/eating
2)My 2 healthy children (that drive me CRAZY sometimes they are 13 and 14 and a half TEENAGERS! AAAAHHH!!!)
3) My improved health
4) The internet and the lovely people that post help, education and encouragement through the computer!
5)Doctors that sincerely want to help people.
6)The people I've met that are on similar healing paths Karen, Lisa, Cami glad to meet all of you and thank you for sharing!
7) My husband's 1977 Classic RV, great to have "family fun days" in
8) My animals' health. (Yea! no vet visits needed)
9) My house, and food to eat, and heat.
10) My guitar and piano.
11) My cooking skills to deal with all these food allergies!
12) The public libraries (free books and DVDs for all1)
13) My Blendtec Blender, Food Processor, Dehydrator
14) My husbands car (20yrs old) and my van (11 yrs old) that still run.
15) There's probably more and I will add on as necessary! Thank you God!

November 22, 2009

Hi Everyone! I was having fun this weekend with my daughter, who has been begging me to make a raw food preparation video with her as the camera person. We don't have a camcorder so we used my daughter's digital camera...the camera made it sound like I have a terrible LISP! I don't! (Not that there's anything wrong with lisping...)Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBhHwEA3eAk

I hope to do more videos in the future. I started with this video and recipe because a group of moms of autistic children, that I speak to, haven't made raw food before and were asking many questions about the recipe...I decided to show how to make this recipe first...because it was one my family loved! Thanks Chef Amy for posting it!

PS If you or anyone you know has an autistic child or even just ADD/ADHD, or if your child/ren need to follow a GFCF diet for any other reason... please tell them to visit GFCFKids@yahoogroups.com They have terrific advice on all things diet related and autism related and biomedical information. The moms there are amazing! Always willing to lend an ear and share advice and encouragement!

November 20, 2009

If you look in the upper left gadgets, on Lupus Hope, you will see that I added a link to the Renegade Health Show with Kevin and Ann Marie Gianni. I love their show and I reference it often. Now you can have a peek at what they are up to when you come and visit my site!

So pour a nice cup of herbal tea , or make up a green smoothie the next time you visit, and enjoy the information that is here for you to think about and to try, and be HEALTHIER everyday!

I am a strong believer that you can get rid of many of your aches and pains by taking out the foods you are allergic to from your diet. I can't tell you how much of a difference this has made in my life, and in many people I speak to and read about too. As this article says though sometimes you have some aches and pains in life.

Case in point... I have been having dental issues lately...2 teeth giving me issues...also because of the teeth or possibly because something "snuck in" again that I was not supposed to have, I have had some neck pain/shoulder pain (it is on the side with the tooth that is bothering me the most) I will get that tooth out this Wednesday, it may be infected though the dentist said he didn't see anything on the x-ray......Please enjoy the following link to this article! Have a great day!

November 18, 2009

My friend Karen mentioned there is more to healing than just food, I agree, though the food you eat is the most important and biggest thing you can do to heal yourself, sometimes more is needed. I found this "healing house" and I need to find one like this closer to me. It just seemed the description of this house fits how to heal your life.
Here you go Miss Karen...thanks for the idea!http://www.healyourlifecenter.com/

This is a very good interview, lots of great information! I can vouch that when I took out the foods that I was allergic/intolerant to I dropped weight really quickly! Eating mostly raw food and some macrobiotic cooking.

My take on "you must eat 100% raw food or healing and great health won't happen" is that it can't be true.
If you want to know where I'm coming from with this idea....I have researched that both raw food diets can be healing as well as macrobiotic(cooked and raw foods). For my health I find mostly raw with some cooked foods works the best to make me feel at my optimum.

I watched Kevin Gianni interview George Malkmus of "Hallelujah Acres"...let me first say I am a big fan of both the men for their unending teachings about health and great nutrition!
Second I want to say that each person is different and you must choose what makes you feel great...oh and also don't forget to do a blood test now and then with your doctor to make sure you're getting all your nutrients!
Watch the interview herehttp://renegadehealth.com/blog/2009/11/17/reverend-george-malkmus-on-the-100-raw-diet-and-colon-cancer/

When I first decided to learn about feeding my dog's a homemade raw diet (the dogs get raw meat and supplements and a little grains and fruits and veggies) Wendy Volhard, said while doing her seminar and she also says in her book to get a baseline blood test and then test every 6 months- to every year to make sure the dog is doing well and to adjust the diet as needed.

Why should we as people be any different...I just heard about a 100% raw foodie getting cancer and another
in a terrible fight with lyme disease! I'm sure there are many other stories that are testimonies of health!

My message here is this... don't feel that if you are not eating 100% raw food you are "cheating" or that you'll never be healthy if you are eating cooked foods...watch the cooked foods you do eat though...you want to eat healthy foods like grains and beans and soups(not junk foods) and also do get food allergy tested because as they say "one man's artichoke is another man's poisin"

I am allergic/intolerant to many foods beef,shellfish,dairy,eggs,peppers,tomatoes,cranberries,bananas,corn,onions,garlic, wheat, gluten,oats,barley,rye,asparagus.... and probably some others I've missed...if I would continue to eat those I would keep my inflammation levels up. Now that I've taken those foods out of my diet my inflammation levels are all very low on my blood tests. Now I am working on correcting the reasons I have the allergies, from my research you can repair your body to eliminate many of your food allergies.

What do anxiety, bloating, joint pain, fuzzy thinking, and fatigue have in common? Surprisingly, they can all be traced back to a poorly functioning digestive tract. When your gut isn't working well, your body can't absorb nutrients, and that affects all of your body's functions -- especially your immune system. When problems arise in the digestive tract, it can lead to system-wide inflammation and food sensitivities. Even your emotional health is connected to your gut.

Learn more about how listening to your gut instincts can make you a happier and healthier person.
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The domino effect -- from your gut to hot flashes?

You know that bloating, gas, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea are signs of digestive upset. But did you know that these symptoms -- and many others -- may be deeply linked to hormonal imbalance? Digestive issues, along with hot flashes, mood swings, foggy thinking, fatigue, and reduced libido are indicators that your hormones may be out of whack. Our Personal Program helps restore hormonal balance naturally and effectively and works to relieve symptoms, including the digestive issues that can interfere with your wellbeing and your busy schedule.

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The Personal Program for Hormonal Imbalance

"I'm spreading the word about your vitamins"

Belinda had lived with chronic digestive problems for most of her life -- but her symptoms suddenly got worse after she went on HRT following a hysterectomy. Her healthcare provider had no answers for her and told her she'd have to "learn to live with" severe irritable bowel syndrome. That answer wasn't good enough for Belinda, and after hearing about the benefits of nutritional supplements on a television show, she went to the internet looking for answers. The Personal Program made an immediate difference in how she felt -- it improved her digestion for the first time in years, and even helped her to get off the HRT!

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Following a difficult childbirth that took a toll on her strength, Georgia found herself weak and sick all the time. She suffered each winter with seasonal depression, recurrent bronchitis, sinus trouble, and poor digestion. Even though she was so tired she didn't want to get out of bed, Georgia had to force herself to work through her depression and fatigue so she could care for her children. Using antibiotics regularly for her recurrent respiratory infections only seemed to make matters worse -- but she felt she didn't have a choice. Then a friend recommended the Personal Program and Georgia decided to give it a try. Now, after six months on the Program, Georgia's energy, moods, and digestion have recovered, and she doesn't catch every infection her children bring home. -- Plus she no longer dreads the winter months!

November 16, 2009

This is the second time this has come up for me lately...I had an aura reading at a naturopath recently and she told me I had pesticide residues in my body. OK I know aura readings are "out there" but I worked as a veterinary assistant and in kennels when I was younger and gave a whole lot of the "old fashioned" NASTY "flea dips." Insecticides are TOXIC, use natural products as much as possible. NEEM oil is a good one..Read below....

Household Insecticides May Be Linked to Autoimmune Diseases

Study suggests a connection with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

(HealthDay News) -- New research suggests a link between women's exposure to household insecticides -- including roach and mosquito killers -- and the autoimmune disorders rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

The scientist did not find a direct cause-and-effect relationship between insecticide exposure and the illnesses, and it's possible that the women have something else in common that accounts for their higher risk. But epidemiologist Christine Parks, lead investigator of the study, said the findings do raise a red flag.

"It's hard to envision what other factors might explain this association," said Parks, an epidemiologist with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences who was to present the study over the weekend at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Previous research has linked agricultural pesticides to higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, two diseases in which the immune system goes haywire and begins to attack the body. Farmers, among others, appear to be vulnerable.

Parks and her colleagues wanted to find out whether smaller doses of insecticides, such as those people might encounter at home from either personal or commercial residential use, might have a similar effect.

The researchers examined data from a previous study of almost 77,000 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79. Their findings were to be released Monday at the American College of Rheumatology's annual scientific meeting in Philadelphia.

Women who reported applying insecticides or mixing them -- about half -- had a higher risk of developing the two autoimmune disorders than women who reported no insecticide use. This was the case whether or not they had lived on a farm. Those who used or mixed the insecticides the most -- judged by frequency or duration -- had double the risk.

Even so, the risk of developing the diseases remained very low. Overall, Parks said, about 2 percent of older adults develop the conditions.

Parks said the insecticides that the women used included insect killers, such as those designed to eradicate ants, wasps, termites, mosquitoes and roaches. They didn't include insect repellents.

There are some caveats to the research. For one, it's not clear exactly what products the women used or when. "Over time, there have been major changes in what products were available for home use," Parks said.

And while researchers tried to take into account the influence of factors like age that may boost a woman's risk of getting autoimmune diseases, it's possible they missed something that boosted the risk of illness.

Could gardening, which often entails insecticide use, be a contributing factor? That's possible. But Parks said a lot of insecticide use takes place inside the home, not outside in the garden.

For now, she said, the findings indicate the need for "more research on environmental risk factors and better understanding of what factors might explain these findings, what chemicals might be associated with these risks."

She declined to speculate on how insecticides might cause problems in the body.

"I would recommend that people read the labels and take precautions to minimize their personal exposure" to insecticides, she said. "This is the case regardless of whether these results are implicating a chemical that's on the market now or was before."

November 11, 2009

I was SHOCKED when I received my daughter's IgG blood test for food allergies, her allergies are worse then mine!!! She is doing fine in school, a very bright and healthy girl but still had all these allergies! My NAET practitioner said that with each generation the allergies get stronger. (Don't panic you can get rid of many of them or even all of them with the right medical/holistic treatment,and there is a good chance that you can break the next generations cycle of worse allergies)

My mind goes to.... what if I never had Lupus and never checked my allergies...what if I never checked her allergies...would she have continued eating these allergens and grown up with massive inflammation and gotten Lupus too...or some other disease.

The message that I want to send here is, before my daughter and I were tested for allergies, I would have thought we didn't have any!!! We didn't have runny noses and itchy eyes and hives. We had occassional headaches and sinus pressure and maybe an upset tummy(gurgling and extra gas) once a month to once every 2 months! That was all! We thought this was normal!

From kinesiology testing my daughter was already off gluten and dairy, now she has to go off eggs/sugar and GF oats and peanut butter those are just the ones that will be severely missed...there are many more also.

Allergy testing can be covered by insurance...but sometimes is not. The best thing to do is go to a doctor that you trust and get the testing done on yourselves and your family...I sound like a broken record but, whether it is Lupus or other diseases inflammation is BAD!!! If you continue eating foods you are allergic to your body responds to them as they are an invader and produces white blood cells(inflammation) to "kill the invaders" if you continue to eat these foods everyday you get massive inflammation...Hello Lupus and other autoimmune diseases!

After taking the foods that I was allergic to almost all my Lupus symptoms disappeared! I feel much better! I am still not perfect but I learn and try each day to get healthier and healthier and YOU CAN TOO!

Also I heard Kevin Gianni mention "Holy Basil"also called "Tulsi" and many people also talk about "Maca", these are adaptogens also and here are 2 articles about other adaptogens.http://miracleadaptogens.com/health.html

To Be Considered A True Adaptogen, A Plant
Must Conform To The Following Criteria:

1. The plant must be nontoxic and totally harmless to the body. It must allow the continuing normal physiological activity of the individual.

2. The action it exerts must be nonspecific and should maintain normal body functions despite a wide range of onslaughts to the body (i.e. stress).

3. It should normalize body functions irrespective of existing pathological conditions. Unlike allopathic drugs which carry with them the possibility of side effects, adaptogen's must benefit the body without disturbing it or doing it harm. Not many plants possess adaptogenic properties. In fact it is estimated that only one in 4,000 plants is classified as an adaptogen

I bought the "Living on Live Food" book by Alissa Cohen and it still is my favorite Raw Food book...but I requested her 2 DVD set from my local library recently, for my raw food class, and I just watched myself, for a second time (I took it out of the library and watched it about 1 and 1/2 years ago when I was first getting serious with raw food)

I HIGHLY recommend it. It is long and does move a little slow in spots...but the recipes and step by step instruction and all the information you get from just listening to Alissa talk in between the recipes...it is GREAT! Most of the recipes are pretty simple too! Check it out!

I keep hearing how important it is to keep your body alkaline. Many diseases thrive in an acid body. Eating a raw diet or a macrobiotic diet alkalinizes the body. Enjoy this article! I am going to try to see if my local health food store has the ph testing papers/strips or if I need to order them.

November 6, 2009

I received an email from the Hipchick Blog saying that Oprah mentioned her macrobiotic book on Oprah.com and I looked up healing foods on oprah.com and I found this! Alright Oprah! Has she done any shows on this too? Did I miss them???

November 5, 2009

These steps are from Sherry Rogers book "Pain Free in 6 Weeks..." on PG 93 Please get this book and read it! It is STILL my FAVORITE book with absolutely the BEST information on Lupus and other autoimmune diseases and LOTS of other diseases too! You can get it to read, free, from your local library! She goes on to explain in detail how to repair your leaky gut! It is one of the few books that I own and I would buy extra copies to give to all my friends and family too! In her practice Sherry Rogers has reversed Lupus many times over!

1) Recognize or diagnose leaky gut is present. There is an Intestinal Permeability Test that your doctor can order.(or you can just start treatment)

2)Remove the cause of the leaky gut. Find out if unwanted bugs like Candida are lurking, or if you have poor digestive enzymes, abnormal bacteria etc. A "Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis"(CDSA) will tell you this.

3)Re-inoculate the gut by putting good bugs back by using probiotics.

4)Repace Enzymes with digestive enzymes.

5) Recall the total load and if you have chemical sensitivity. Decrease toxins in your life home and at work and toiletries.

November 3, 2009

This information is a nice overview on "The Essentials of Celiac Disease" from "Dummies.com". You know the books "Celiac Disease for Dummies"," Dog Training for Dummies", etc As silly as these titles are the books are usually put together by experts in their field so the information is great.

Please go to the link below and while you are there check the part about "Celiac Disease and Other Autoimmune Conditions"(yes you are right on target with your comment Lupus Girl if you have one autoimmune check to see if you have any more) and please note that they wrote if you have Lupus check if you have Celiac Disease!(especially if you are still eating gluten!!!) The really happy thing is that if you do have Celiac Disease and you avoid gluten containing foods you can save yourself a lot of pain and inflammation! Also don't be afraid of finding out, I have found great recipes to help you go Gluten Free!

I believe that all the suspected complications are true too, I think in Dr. Peter Green's book he says some of Sylvia's suspected complications have been proven! I really can't say enough that.... if you have a autoimmune problem or just feel off...EVERYONE should be tested for Celiac Disease. It is THE MOST UNDER DIAGNOSED disease in America! You can do Gene Testing(tells whether you have the Celiac gene), Blood testing(if positive you go on to test by endoscopy) and then the endoscopy.

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About Me

I was diagnosed with Lupus in 2004.(but had symptoms of Lupus from about 1993). I have been researching Lupus and healing with diet and a healthy lifestyle. I have discovered that I had many food allergies/intolerances and eliminating those foods from my diet has dramatically lessened my Lupus symptoms! In researching the connection between Lupus and Celiac Disease and food allergies, I have found many prominent medical doctors have written books and articles stating this connection as well. If you work on repairing your intestines, some or all of the food allergies/intolerances will disappear because you can tolerate the foods again. Lupus Hope tells of my years of research into diet and nutrition and holistic medicine and how it can positively effect your overall health. It puts the POWER of getting well in YOUR hands. My blog was started to document my healing journey, as well as to share my journey with others with Lupus or any other autoimmune disease. Sharing a treatment or a type of diet that helped me could possibly help others as well. Knowledge is POWER! So come and learn with me!